


Siblings

by Hekate1308



Series: Tales of the Thursdays [7]
Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, The Thursdays adopt Morse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 20:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19236463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: Sam was ten when he figured it out, or rather, when he started asking questions.





	Siblings

**Author's Note:**

> I just really wanted to write this scene, so...

Sam was ten when he figured it out, or rather, when he started asking questions.

Dev had just come home from uni. Despite the fact that he had a room at Lonsdale, like all students, he spent as much time at their house as he could. He didn’t want Joan or Sam to think he was neglecting them, plus nothing could beat Mother’s cooking.

He was wondering if he should first pit the kettle on – both Mother and Joan were going to come home soon and or get started on his essay when Sam asked, “Dev?”

He turned around to find his little brother bite his lips, looking rather worried. “Sammy? Is everything alright?”

“Why don’t we have pictures of you as a baby? Tommy in my class said that happens when your parents don’t love you.”

Oh. Of course he would be worried about that. Dev hugged him. “Now, first of all you have to know that Mother and Dad love me just as much as they love you and Joan, alright?”

“But then why –“

“Look, I’ll make us a cup of tea, and then I’ll explain, alright?”

Forget the essay. This was more important.

Sam, of course, agreed.

When the were witting in the living room, their steaming cups before them, Dev cleared his throat, than began, “You know how we are always going to the park?”

Sam nodded. They had kept up the tradition.

“One day, when you were two years old, you lost sight of your mum and you got scared.”

Sam, of course, now that he was ten, did his best to give of the impression that he was never going to be scared in his life again.

“And that’s how we met.”

Sam frowned. “But you were ten when I was born. You’d have met me then.”

“No, Sam” he explained gently. “Mother and Dad… they are not my biological parents. Do you know what that means?”

He shook his head.

“It means that – originally I had another Mum and Dad. My first mum died when I was twelve, so I came to live with my first dad” he continued, hoping that it made sense. “And then I met you in the park, and Mother was nice enough to buy me an ice because I helped you find her and Joan. And that’s how got to know each other.”

“But you’ve always been there!”

“Since you were two” he pointed out patiently, “You can’t remember what happened when you were two.”

“Yes I can” he said stubbornly. “You are my brother.”

And then he realized. Sam didn’t want to believe because he thought that would mean that they weren’t brothers anymore.

“We are. And we always will be. But siblings don’t have to be related by blood. Mother and Dad adopted me. You know what that means, right?”

He nodded. “Jasper from my class was adopted. But you would’ve been old. You wouldn’t have been a baby”.

“You don’t have to be a baby to be adopted.”

He seemed to consider that, then nodded.

“I met you in the park and then we became close and… eventually I came to live with you. And I took Thursday as my last name.”

He didn’t tell him what Dad had admitted to him soon after he had turned eighteen – that they had more or less bought him off his father; that was not something that Sam had to know yet. Eventually perhaps, if he wanted to know, but not now.

“But you won’t leave again?” was Sam’s next question.

“Of course not. It’s like I said – we’re brothers, and we always will be” he repeated.

That seemed to work, because Sam finally started to smile again. “That’s good, then.” A thought occurred to him. “It’s that why you call Mum Mother?”

“Yes. I called – well, I called _my_ mum Mum. But yours will always be my mother, too.”

He accepted his explanation.

* * *

The door opened and Joan came in. “Hi – oh, Dev!” she hugged him. “Long time no see.”

“You saw me two days ago” he reminded her.

“Still – that’s forever when it comes to you! Mum was already talking about dragging you home for dinner. You know how she is.”

Indeed. One of these days, she would probably start sending him sandwiches per mail.

“You alright?” she asked, studying him. “You look funny.”

In truth, their talk had probably shaken him a bit more than he liked to admit; he hadn’t realized he needed Sam to accept that they might not have been related but were still brothers quite as much as he did. “I told Sam the truth.”

“What truth?” Then she realized. “Oh. Well, there were some things he was bound to notice. You don’t look that much like us.”

“You tell that to our new neighbours” he said. “I overheard Mrs. Haller telling Mother I had her nose the other day.”

Joan laughed. “Knew they were a bit weird.”

“Joanie.”

She shrugged. “Just saying. Where’s Sam?”

“Doing his homework.”

“Tea?”

“Already made some.”

“Thanks, Dev. Knew I could count on you.”

* * *

Mother came home a short while later; Dev had seen to it that Joan and Sam both ahd enough tea and were doing well with their homework.

As always when he came home, her face lit up upon seeing him. “Dev!” She then drew him into a hug. “I think you’ve lost weight again.”

“I don’t think I could lose a lot of weight in two days” he pointed out.

“Hush, dear, you really should take better care of yourself.”

Sometimes, he really regretted his teenage days when he had fallen asleep studying a few times. “Yes, Mother.”

“Now don’t use that tone on my, young man. I assume you made tea?”

“Of course.”

* * *

Dad had been working a difficult case for the past week and was late for dinner. Mother shook he head as she glanced at the watch. “I really wish he’d –“

They heard the front door open and they all went to greet him. He looked tired and worn, but just like Mother, he was glad to see Dev. “Hello, son. How are your studies going?”

“Well, thank you.”

“Didn’t expect anything else, really”.

“Yes” Sam piped up, “My _big brother_ is smart!” He’d been referring to Dev as such constantly the entire afternoon; apparently it was his way of letting him know that he would always consider them siblings too.

Dad threw him a curious glance; Dev mouthed _Tell you later_.

He wanted to speak to him privately, anyway. Maybe he could help with the case. Not that he thought that he was any better at solving cases than experience police officers; but already more than once, it had helped Dad to lay out the case to an outsider.

Not that he would be one for much longer. He had already decided that he was going to join the police eventually when he was done with his studies.

* * *

And so they had family dinner. Despite the fact that they had adopted him seven years ago, time spent with his family would never become any less special to Dev, he felt. Dad looked much better at the end of the meal than he had coming home.

Afterwards, they had a drink in the living room while Mother stayed in the kitchen with Joan and Sam.

Dev told him about his and Sam’s talk.

“Well, he was bound to figure it out eventually” Dad said, echoing Joan. “Didn’t expect it so soon, but still…”

“I think one of the boys in his class was annoying him and he got worried you didn’t love me as much as him” he shrugged. “You know how it can be.”

“Yeah, well, he’d be wrong” Dad said firmly and Dev took a sip of his drink to hide his smile. Sometimes, Dad tended to forget that he wasn’t a lonely twelve-year-old who needed to be reassured pf their willingness to spend time with him constantly.

“Trust me, I know. Sam just wanted to be told that we are always going to be brothers. I don’t think it matters to him how we came to be siblings.”

“Because it doesn’t. Not in the grand scheme of things.”

“Well, I could have done without the almost-pneumonia” he said lightly, only to regret it when he saw Dad’s expression. “Sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s alright. I just don’t like remembering that day.”

“I do. You took me in.”

“I prefer thinking of the day you got up again” Dad said calmly. Of Couse he would. Dad still got rather upset when he thought about Dev’s father and stepmother.

Dev hadn’t thought about them in years. “How’s the case going?”

Dad sighed. “I should never have broken the hat stand rule.”

“Too late, it’s gone now” he grinned.

“Oy, you –“ Dad shook his head. “Fine. But not a word to the kiddies. They’re too young for this.”

Joan would probably coax out a few details from him anyway, but they didn’t mention it.

Dev smiled, then schooled his features into a more appropriate expression when Dad started talking about the case.

Time to think.


End file.
